NEW REGISTRATION RULES FOR MUNICIPAL ADVISORS

As they were required to do under the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC announced that it has now voted to adopt permanent rules requiring municipal advisors to register. Previously, and immediately after Dodd-Frank, municipal advisors were placed under a temporary registration requirement, and following it, more than 1,100 municipal advisors registered with the SEC.

The permanent rule, the SEC says, will address the long concern about the fallout from losses suffered, in part, by municipalities purchasing complex derivatives products and relying on the advice from unregulated advisors — advisors, who municipalities may not have been aware, may have had conflicts of interest. In addition to defining the term “municipal advisor,” and who is exempted from that definition, the rule identifies when a person is considered to be providing “advice.” For example, the SEC says, other than general giving information, a person recommending to a municipal entity advice based on a particular need related to municipal financial products or related to the muncipalities’ issuance of municipal securities would be considered providing muncipal advice.

The SEC’s Press Release states that the new rules will be effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Author: Dexter Johnson

The author is a an attorney who for the past 14 years has concentrated his practice in representing, successfully, investment advisers, broker-dealers, corporations and individuals who are subject to SEC, FINRA, State or other regulations and who may be the subject of regulatory examination, review or investigation. He formerly worked at the SEC. His regulatory and litigation experience has encompassed virtually every type of securities issue in the industry. He has also negotiated favorable outcomes in many of these matters for his clients.
View all posts by Dexter Johnson

This blog identifies and discusses new and developing regulatory issues that impact investment advisers, broker-dealers, corporations and individuals who either work in the securities industry or who are impacted by its regulations.